Automatic control means for oil burners



Aug. 27, 1929. 1, KRAMER 1,726,520

AUTOMATIC CONTROL MEANS FOR OIL BURNERS Filed July 5. 1928 2 sheets-sheet 1 INVENTOR [rw'rzy Kramer M ATTORNE s- 1929- I. KRAMER 1,726,520

AUTOHTiC CONTROL MEANS FOR OIL BURNERS Filed July 5. 1928 2' Sheets-Sheet 2 I NVENTOR in ny Framer M ATTORNEY Patented Aug. 27, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT IRVING KRAMER, OF FAR ROCKAWAY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO REGO-HEAT COE- POBAATI ON, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.,

A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

Application flied July 3, 1928. Serial No. 290,258.

This invention relates to automatic control means for oil burners and other apparatus which it may be desirable to operate at regular intervals for predetermined time periods.

It is the general object and purpose of my present improvement to provide an automaticallyoperating mechanism of simple construction for controlling or regulating the operation of oil burners such'as are in more or less general use in connection with the heating plants of private residences, apartment houses and other buildings and comprehends the provision of such an automatic control means which may be readily adjusted or set to cause the operation of the oil burner for predetermined periods of time and at predetermined intervals between such periods of operation, variable at will as may be most desirable in View of variable weather conditions so as to maintain a substantially uniform heating temperature.

It is another important object of my invention to provide such an automatic control mechanism for oil burner heating systems of the type having motor operated fuel supply means and ignition means, which will be positive and reliable in its operation, eliminating the usual thermostatic control, is not liable to get out of order and which will require a minimum of care or attention on the part of the user or attendant.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the improved auto matic control means for oil burners and other apparatus as will be hereinafter more fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings, and subsequently incorporated in the subjoined claims.

In the drawings, wherein I have illustrated, more or less diagrammatically, one simple and practical embodiment of the invention, and'in which similar reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation partly in section showing one form of my present improvements;

Fig. 2 is a top plan view thereof;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1 showing the relative positions of the parts at another stage in the c cle of o eration, and

Figs. 4 an 5 are iagrammatic views illustrating the circuits for the fuel ignition means and the fuel supply means respectively, together with the automatically controlled switch devices interposed in said circuits.

Referring in detail to the drawings, 5 designates a power shaft, mounted and supported in suitable bearings and driven by suitable clock mechanism conventionally indicated at 6 which may be of the electric type. This shaft is so geared to theclock mechanism that said shaft will make one complete revolution in 15 minutes. Upon said shaft and in spaced relation to each other, the cam discs 7 and 8 respectively, are suitably fixed. The cam 7 is adapted to coact with the insulated contact part 9 carried by one element of a normally open switch 10 which is interposed in the circuit of an electro-magnet 11 of the solenoid type, the movable core of which may be connected with the gas control valve ofthe ignition means for the oil burner and through the medium. of which gas is supplied to the burner to be ignited by a pilot jet. However, the fuei ignition means may if desired, consist of eiec'tric spark device connected in the circuit in the conventional manner so that upon the closing of the switch 10, the spark will be created to ignite the fuel.

The other cam 8 is adapted to coact with the insulated contact member 12 carried by one element of a normally closed switch 13 which is interposed in the circuit of the electric motor indicated at is; through the medium of which atomized oil-and air are supplied to the furnace burner.

A second shaft 15 is mounted in parallel relation to the shaft 5, and has fixed to one end thereof a ratchet wheel 16. Upon the other end of this shaft the drum 17 is fixed and is provided in its periphery with the two circumferentially extending series of equi- 9 distantly spaced holes or recesses 18 and 19 respectively, in which the pins 20 and 21 re spectivel are adapted to be removably and adjustabi inserted. In the circuit for the ignition means, a second normally open switch 22 is interposed, the movable element of which carries an insulated contact piece indicated at 23 forengagement by the pins 20. A similar normally open switch 24 is also interposed in the-circuitof the motor 14, and one of the latter switch elements likewise is provided with an insulated contact piece 2'5 similar to the contact piece 23 for engagement with the other series of pins 21.

Upon the shaft 15 a lever 26 is loosely jour- '27 spring held in engagement at its free end with the teeth of the ratchet 16. The other end of this lever is provided with a pin or roller 28 bearing upon the periphery of a cam disc 29 fixed on the shaft 5 and yieldingly held in contacttherewith by means of the spring 30 connected to said lever. The cam disc 29' at one end of its cam face has a radially extending shoulder 31.-

The cam 29 is so formed and the number of teeth on the ratchetwheel 16 is such, say 96, that the shaft 15 will make one complete revolution in 24 hours, assuming that one revolution of the shaft 5 takes place each 15 minutes. It will of course, be understood that the ratchet wheellfi and the drum 17 are so related that in each of the intermittent rotations of the drum, one of the pins 20 and one of the pins 21 will simultaneouslyact upon the movable elements of the switches 22 and 2a respectively, so as to close the independent electric circuits through these switches.

, In the operation of the mechanism above described, assumin that the parts are in the position shown in ig. l and the switch 10 is closed while the'switch '13 is open, upon the slight further rotation of shaft 5, the roller 28 of lever 26 moves 05 of the high part of the cam 29 so that the ratchet wheel 16 and drum 1? are rotated and the two switches 22 and 2a are closed by the pins 20 and 21, providing said pins have been insertedinto the proper holes in the drum. Therefore, the circuit of the electro-magnet 1,1 which is now closed has caused an operation of the valve to turn on the dew of gas which is ignitedby the pilot jet and approximately one minute later, cam 8 moves out of engagement with contact piece 12 so that switch 13 closes, thereby closing the circuit of motor 14: through said switch and the switch 24 whereby the atomized oil and air is supplied and ignited by the gas burner. i lpproximately one minute thereafter, cam

7 moves out of engagement with contact piece 9 so that the switch 10 opens, thereby opening the circuit of the electro-ma et 11 and cutting ofi' the continued flow o gas to the pilot jet. Ap roximately thirteen minutes later, the switc 13 is again opened and at the same time the switch 10 is closed, thereby breaking the circuit of the motor 14: so that the continued supply of fuel to the furnace burner is out off. Immediately following, the ratchet wheel 16 is again operated and the cycle of operations above described is repeated, or omitted as the case may be, depending'upon whether the pins 20 and 21 have been inserted into the proper holes 18 and 19 at regularly spaced intervals, or certain of said pins omitted. Thus, a proper heating program may be carried out, consistin of periods of operation of the oil burner, interrupted by intervals'of time during which the burner is not in operation, and which. time intervals may be regular or irregular as desired;

From the foregoing description, considered in connection with the accompanying draw ings, it will be seen that by means of such a mechanism as I have described and illustrated, furnace oil burners may be very economically operated and with very little care or attention by the'attendant thereof. This mechanism provides a very satisfactory and reliable substitute for the usual thermostatic the individual tenants residing in the buildl have herein disclosed an embodiment of my present improvements, which by actual test, I have found to be entirely satisfactory, for the purpose in view. Nevertheless, it is possible that in the adaptation and use of my present invention in connection with various difierenttypes of burners, certain modifications of the mechanism may be required, and

it is therefore, to be understood that T reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes therein as may be fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention as claimed.

1 claim:

1. In automatic control means for fuel oil burner systems and other apparatus to render such apparatus alternately active and mac, tive for predetermined intervals of time, said apparatus including two electrically controlled devices and a separate current supply circuit for each of said devices; in combination with a normally open switch in one of said circuits and a normally closed switch in the other circuit, an additional normally open switch inleach circuit, time clock control means for momentarily closing and opening the respective first named switches at the end of predetermined intervals of time, and additlonal means automatically controlled and actuated by the time clock and including movable means for closing the second named switches while said first named switches are operated upon by the clock controlled means, and. for maintaining said second named switches closed after the return of the first named switches to normal condition and during-the time interval elapsing until the succeeding switches.

2. In automatic control means for fuel oil burner systems'and other a paratus to ren der such apparatus alternate y active and inactive for predetermined intervals of time,

operation of said first named time, and additional means automatical-.

1y controlled and actuated by the time clock and including movable means for closing the second named switches while said first named switches are operated upon by the clock controlled means, and for maintaining said second named switches closed after the return of the firstnamed switches to normal condition and during the time interval elapsing until the succeeding operation of said first named switches, said movable means having relatively adjustable parts to coact with said second named switches whereby the time interval elapsing between the successive clos ing of said switches may be rendered equivalent at will to any desired multiple of the time interval elapsing between successive op erations of the first named switches.

3. In automatic control means for fuel oil burner systems and other apparatus to render such apparatus alternately active and inactive for predetermined intervals of time, said apparatus including two electrically controlled devices and a separate current supply circuit for each of said devices; in combina tion with a normally open switch in one of said circuits and a normally closed switch in the other circuit, an additional normally open switch in each circuit, time clock control means for momentarily closing and opening the respective first named switches at the end of predetermined intervals of time, a rotatably mounted drum ratchet mechanism for intermittently rotating said drum,'a cam member actuated by the time clock controlling the operation of said ratchet mechanism, and relatively adjustable elements mounted in the periphery of the drum and coacting withsaid second named switches to close the same while said first named switches are in operative position, and to maintain said second named switches closed during a predetermined number of time intervals elapsing between successive operations of the first named switches.

4. In automatic control means for fuel oil burner systems and other apparatus to render such apparatus alternately active and inactive for predetermined intervals of time, said apparatus including two electrically control devices and a separate current supply circuit for each of said devices; in combination with a normally open switch in one of said circuits and a normally closed switch in the other circuit, an additional normally open switch in each circuit, a driven shaft, cam members on said driven shaft to momentarily close and open the said first named switches to each revolution of said shaft, a drum, ratchet mechanism for rotating said drum, an additional cam on said driven shaft controlling the operation of said ratchet mechanism, and members carried by said drum and adjustable in spaced relation to each other circumferentially of the drum adapted to coact with said second named switch and close the same while said first named switches are in operated positions and .to maintain the second named switches closed during a redetermined number of revolutions of sai driven shaft.

In testimony that I claim the'foregoing as my invention, I have signed my name hereto.

IRVING KRAMER. 

